Three-way switch

ABSTRACT

A multiway switching device may comprise a wireless device in communication with a relay and a manual switch of the device. A toggle state of the relay may be indicative of an electrical configuration between conductors and rectifier circuits of the multiway switching device. The wireless device may receive, from the manual switch or from an external device, a signal indicative of a modification to the toggle state of the relay. Based on the signal, the wireless device may cause the modification to the toggle state of the relay. The wireless device may cause output of a status signal indicative of the modification to the toggle state of the relay.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/204,654, filed Mar. 11, 2014, which claims the benefit of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 61/784,342, filed Mar. 14, 2013, both of which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

In building wiring, multiway switching is the interconnection of two ormore electrical switches to control an electrical load (often, but notalways, lighting) from more than one location. For example, this allowslighting in a hallway, stairwell, or large room to be controlled frommultiple locations. While a “normal” light switch needs to be only aSingle Pole, Single Throw (SPST) switch, multiway switching requires theuse of switches that have one or more additional contacts and two ormore wires must be run between the switches. When the load is controlledfrom only two points, Single Pole, Double Throw (SPDT) switches areused. One example of a multiway switch is a three-way switch.Electrically, a three-way switch is a Single-Pole, Double-Throw (SPDT)switch. By correctly connecting two of these switches together, togglingeither switch changes the state of the load from off to on, or on tooff. The switches may be arranged so that they are in the sameorientation for off, and contrasting orientations for on.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example conventional three-way switch.Conventional implementations of a three-way switch require all switchesto be replaced in case of a device failure. In addition, it requires theinstaller to know which end is the load versus the supply (slave ormaster). With the advent of home automation, it would be beneficial tohave more capable three-way switches.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods relating to multiway switching are described. Amultiway switching device may comprise a relay. The relay may beconfigured to control electrical communication between conductors andrectifier circuits, such as via contacts of the relay. The multiwayswitching device may comprise a manual switch. The manual switch may beconfigured to receive a user input. The user input may be associatedwith a toggle state of the manual switch. The toggle state of the manualswitch may be indicative of a command to modify the toggle state of therelay. The multiway switching device may comprise a wireless device. Thewireless device may be configured to communicate with the relay and themanual switch. The wireless device may be configured to communicate withan external device, such as via a wireless communication method. Thewireless device may be configured to receive a manual switch signal,such as from the manual switch, or a control signal, such as from anexternal device. The manual switch signal or the control signal may beindicative of a command to modify the toggle state of the relay. Thewireless device may be configured to cause a modification of the togglestate of the relay based on the manual switch signal or the commandsignal. The wireless device may be configured to cause output of astatus signal. The status signal may be indicative of the modificationto the toggle state of the relay.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example RF-based three-way switch.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example low-leakage rectifier.

FIG. 3 is a state table of an example RF three-way switch.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example conventional three-way switch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although the detailed description herein contains many specifics for thepurposes of illustration, anyone of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate that many variations and alterations to the following detailsare within the scope of the embodiments described herein. Thus, thefollowing illustrative embodiments are set forth without any loss ofgenerality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimedinvention.

Generally, devices and methods described herein comprise a relay coupledbetween conductors and rectifier circuits. A converter is coupledbetween the rectifier circuits and a radio frequency (RF) device.Control signals are coupled to the RF device. A physical switch iscoupled to the RF device, and the control outputs of the physical switchform a multi-way switch.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example RF-based three-way switch. Theswitch of an embodiment comprises a physical switch coupled or connectedto an RF device or processor. The RF device is coupled or connected to aconverter, which in an embodiment comprises a DC-to-DC converter. Theconverter is coupled or connected to the local power supply by a relaycircuit and numerous rectifier circuits.

The switch of an embodiment simplifies the installation processinvolving three-way switches by only having to replace one of thethree-way switches in a multi-switch installation. Furthermore, theswitch of an embodiment is positionally agnostic in that it can functionas either the master or the slave (supply or load). In addition theswitch is Radio Frequency (RF) controlled (e.g., Zigbee, WiFi, etc.),and is configured to report the status or state of the light (i.e. on oroff) as well as the current power consumption.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example rectifier circuit. Eachrectifier circuit of an embodiment is a low-leakage rectifier, but theembodiment is not so limited. Power to the RF switch of an embodiment isprovided by the combination of the rectifier circuits and the converter.Each rectifier circuit of an embodiment includes a combination oflow-leakage diodes. An optional shunt resistor is included in anembodiment to clamp reverse leakage current to direct current (DC)ground. Multiple instances of the circuit are implemented in anembodiment to reduce the reverse leakage current of any particular diodeto relatively smaller magnitudes.

The local power supply to the switch is an alternating current (AC)system comprising three circuit conductors. The local power supplytherefore includes a first conductor that is a “hot” conductor carryingan electric potential relative to electrical ground or neutral, a secondconductor that is a neutral return conductor of the local power supplycircuit, and a ground conductor with continuity to earth ground. In anembodiment, each conductor of the local power supply is coupled orconnected to the converter using a dedicated rectifier circuit, but theembodiment is not so limited.

As described herein the switch of an embodiment includes at least threeinstances of the rectifier circuit, one coupled or connected to each ofthe relay three-way switch connections, i.e. one to the normally closed(NC) contact, one to the common (C), and one to the normally open (NO)contact. The physical conductors of the local power supply are connectedto the RF-enabled three-way switch at each of the relay inputs, i.e. NC,C, and NO contacts, instead of the physical switch. The physical switchcomprises a low-voltage contact to the RF device that acts as an inputto the RF device to indicate user input.

The RF device comprises a processor and is coupled to numerous controlsignals. In an embodiment, the RF device is coupled to signals VT1-VT3,CS1-CS3, relay enable signals, and physical switch contacts NC, NO, COM.The VT1-VT3 signals act as voltage sensors to determine whether or notline voltage is present at each of the AC terminals. The CS1-CS3 signalsare current sensors, which could be implemented at current transformers,hall effect devices, or other such means as measuring current.

In operation, the device is indicated to be “ON” when current sensor CS1and CS3 or CS1 and CS2 indicate current flowing. If a user activates orpresses the physical switch, then the RF device reads the input, andcontacts the relay accordingly. If an RF command is indicated to turnoff or turn on the device, then the RF device contacts the relayaccordingly. FIG. 3 is a state table of an example RF three-way switch.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and thelike are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to anexclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of “including,but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number alsoinclude the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, thewords “herein,” “hereunder,” “above,” “below,” and words of similarimport, when used in this application, refer to this application as awhole and not to any particular portions of this application. When theword “or” is used in reference to a list of two or more items, that wordcovers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of theitems in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination ofthe items in the list.

The above description of embodiments and corresponding systems andmethods is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the systems andmethods to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments of,and examples for, the systems and methods are described herein forillustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possiblewithin the scope of the systems and methods, as those skilled in therelevant art will recognize. The teachings of the systems and methodsprovided herein can be applied to other systems and methods, not onlyfor the systems and methods described above.

The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can becombined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can bemade to the embodiments and corresponding systems and methods in lightof the above detailed description.

In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not beconstrued to limit the invention and corresponding systems and methodsto the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and theclaims, but should be construed to include all systems that operateunder the claims. Accordingly, the invention and corresponding systemsand methods is not limited by the disclosure, but instead the scope isto be determined entirely by the claims.

While certain aspects of the systems and methods are presented below incertain claim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects ofthe systems and methods in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, theinventors reserve the right to add additional claims after filing theapplication to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects ofthe systems and methods described herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving, by a wirelessdevice, a control signal indicative of a command to modify a togglestate of a relay, wherein the toggle state of the relay is indicative ofan electrical configuration, controlled by the relay, between aplurality of conductors and a plurality of rectifier circuits inelectrical communication via at least one contact of a. plurality ofcontacts of the relay; and causing, based on the control signal, amodification to the toggle state of the relay.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the method further comprises sending, to an external device, anindication of the toggle state of the relay.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the method further comprises sending, to an external device, anindication of a malfunctioning of the relay.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the method further comprises sending, to an external device, anindication of at least one of the modification to the toggle state ofthe relay, a state of the electrical communication between the pluralityof rectifier circuits and the at least one contact, or the electricalconfiguration between the plurality of conductors and the plurality ofrectifier circuits.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing themodification to the toggle state of the relay comprises sending, to therelay, a command signal indicative of the modification to the togglestate of the relay.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the causing themodification to the toggle state of the relay comprises modifying anelectrical load supplied to an electric device.
 7. The method of claim1, wherein the control signal comprises a manual switch signalindicative of a toggle state of a manual switch, wherein the togglestate of the manual switch is indicative of a command to modify thetoggle state of the relay.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the methodfurther comprises determining, based on the toggle state of the relay, apower state of an electric device in electrical communication with therelay.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprisessending, to an external device, an indication of the power state of theelectric device.
 10. A method comprising: modifying a toggle state of amanual switch, wherein the toggle state of the manual switch isindicative of a command to modify a toggle state of a relay, wherein thetoggle state of the relay is indicative of an electrical configuration,controlled by the relay, between a plurality of conductors and aplurality of rectifier circuits in electrical communication via at leastone contact of a plurality of contacts of the relay, wherein thewireless device is configured to cause, based on the modifying of thetoggle state of the manual switch, a modification to the toggle state ofthe relay; receiving, based on the modifying the toggle state of themanual switch and from the wireless device, a status signal; anddetermining, based on the status signal, the toggle state of the relay.11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprisesdetermining, based on the toggle state of the relay, a malfunctioning ofat least one of the relay or the manual switch.
 12. The method of claim10, wherein the method further comprises at least one of repairing orreplacing, based on the at least one of the toggle state of the relay,at least one of the relay or the manual switch.
 13. The method of claim10, wherein the receiving the status signal comprises receiving, by anexternal device in communication with the wireless device, the statussignal.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless device isconfigured to cause modification to toggle states of a plurality ofrelays; and wherein the method further comprises determining, based onthe toggle state of the relay, one or more relays of the plurality ofrelays that is malfunctioning.
 15. A device comprising: a relayconfigured to control electrical communication, via at least one contactof a plurality of contacts of the relay, between a plurality ofconductors and a plurality of rectifier circuits, wherein a toggle stateof the relay is indicative of an electrical configuration between theplurality of conductors and the plurality of rectifier circuits; amanual switch configured to receive a user input associated with atoggle state of the manual switch, wherein the toggle state of themanual switch is indicative of a command to modify the toggle state ofthe relay; and a wireless device in communication with the relay and themanual switch, wherein the wireless device is configured to: receive oneor more of a manual switch signal indicative of the toggle state of themanual switch or a control signal indicative of a command to modify thetoggle state of the relay, and cause, based on the one or more of themanual switch signal or the control signal, a modification to the togglestate of the relay.
 16. The device of claim 15, wherein the wirelessdevice if further configured to send an indication of a functioning ofat least one of the relay or the manual switch.
 17. The device of claim15, wherein the relay is configured to control a power supply to anelectrical device by controlling the electrical communication betweenthe plurality of conductors and the plurality of rectifier circuits. 18.The device of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of at least oneof current sensors or voltage sensors in communication with theplurality of rectifier circuits, wherein the wireless device isconfigured to cause the modification to the toggle state of the relayfurther based on data from at least one of the plurality of the at leastone of current sensors or voltage sensors.
 19. The device of claim 15,wherein the manual switch comprises at least one of a plurality ofcontrol interfaces installed at a premises.
 20. The device of claim 15,wherein the wireless communication device is configured to communicatevia at least one of a radio frequency (RF), WiFi, or Zigbeecommunication protocol.